In the modern hi-tech era, where kids seem to demand the latest games console, cell phone, MP3/MP4 player or computer, it's a refreshing change to observe the latest craze for wearing, collecting, trading and sharing rubber band animals.
Now, before I continue, I would like to stress that although I'm referring to these items as rubber band animals they do in fact come in a variety of shapes colors and themes such as animals, fast food shapes, cowboy hats, sea creatures, microphone stands, baseball shapes, glow in the dark, tye dye - I could go on but you get the picture.
What is the Attraction With Rubber Band Animals?
To answer this question we should first go back to late 2009 in Birmingham, Alabama where the craze was first noticed.
The bands started getting so popular with school children that some of the schools decided to ban them due to them causing too much of a distraction to the children. This, of course, added to the already fever like attraction of the silicone animals and fueled the craze to new heights.
Since then, the craze has steadily spread along the East coast and shows no signs of stopping.
What do Kids do With These Rubber Band Animals?
Basically, they wear them on their wrists and forearms, often dozens at a time, forming a stacked sleeve of silicone bracelets. When worn they look like crinkled rubber bands, but when taken off they retain their original shape.
Popular with both boys and girls, of all ages, they are great for kids because they can be collected and traded and are fun to play with. There are some shapes that are getting more collectible, such as the penguin. There are unsubstantiated claims these shapes are not being manufactured in the same quantities as other shapes. This would create scarcity in the marketplace, which would in turn, create a higher demand.
There really isn't too much to say against Rubber Band Animals, as kids love them because they are cute, cool and fun and parents like them because they are harmless and inexpensive.
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